Asian Studies Program mourns passing of supporter

Houghton “Buck” Freeman, a trustee of the Freeman Foundation and longtime supporter of the UH Mānoa Asian Studies Program, died on December 1 in Vermont.

Freeman Foundation grants have been instrumental in supporting:

· The Undergraduate Asian Studies Initiative, which funded students on two study tours—one discovering contemporary cultures of the Mekong River Region, and the other retracing the travels of King Kalakaua through Asia as part of his historic circumnavigation of the globe.

· A project to infuse Asian Studies into undergraduate curricula at Minority Serving Institutions. UH Mānoa was able to develop study tours for teacher from MSI colleges—namely, to Korea, Japan and the Mekong region—with follow-up symposia on the mainland for participants. The most recent was at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Both projects have long-term value for Asian Studies both locally and beyond.

Freeman is survived by family members who include wife Doreen, son Graeme and daughter, Linda Post.